Theo Jackson (American football)

Thedarrius Jackson (born October 2, 1998) is an American football safety for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Tennessee.

Early years
Jackson was born on October 2, 1998. He was raised in Brentwood, Tennessee. He played on youth teams coached by his father Nate Foster who formerly played college football for Western Kentucky.

Jackson played high school football at Overton where he earned several accolades during the 2016 season. He was rated a three-star recruit and top-25 prospect in Tennessee. On February 1, 2017, Jackson signed a letter of intent to the University of Tennessee.

College career
Jackson played five seasons (2017–2021) for the University of Tennessee, as a member of the Volunteers football team. He played under head coaches Butch Jones, Jeremy Pruitt, and Josh Heupel. He started 24 of 56 games and recorded 190 career tackles. He earned an undergraduate degree in communications. He earned Second Team All-Southeastern honors for 2021.

Tennessee Titans
Jackson was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round, 204th overall, of the 2022 NFL Draft. He was waived on August 30, 2022, and signed to the practice squad the next day.

Minnesota Vikings
On October 11, 2022, Jackson was signed off the Titans' practice squad by the Minnesota Vikings, who were in need of safety depth after a season-ending injury to Lewis Cine. As a rookie, he appeared in 11 games in the 2022 season.

In Week 2 of the 2023 season, Jackson recorded his first professional interception against the Philadelphia Eagles. He appeared in 15 games in the 2023 season.